Total Quality Management (TQM) is a strategy for improving quality, processes and business performance through ongoing refinements in response to feedback. TQM is used to build an effective QA function based on organizational goals, influences on quality and customer expectations to ensure quality requirements are consistently met. TQM is mainly concerned with improvement in all work, from high level strategic planning and decision-making, to detailed execution of work efforts. In summary, implementing TQM is being proactive in regards to quality believing that mistakes can be avoided and defects can be prevented.
Principles of TQM:
- Every employee is responsible for quality
- The quality standard is defect free
- Problems must be prevented, not just fixed
- Quality must be measured
- Processes, not people are the problem
- Management must be involved and lead
- Goals are based on requirements, not negotiated
- Plan, organize and manage for continuous quality improvement
